From Mentorship to Taking Action: Keys to Personal & Professional Success with Brian Haney

You are going to be happy you met Brian Haney, a dynamic financial professional whose journey spans family business, personal growth, and building authentic connections in a changing industry. 

Alongside host Amber Stitt, Brian Haney shares how following your unique path—and leaning into your strengths—can open doors you never expected. 🌟

In this episode, you’ll hear Brian Haney's story of creating the family business, the power of association networks, and why investing in yourself (emotionally and professionally) pays the biggest dividends. 

Whether you’re navigating career pivots, embracing technology, or figuring out how to "show up" as your true self, this conversation is packed with actionable insight and inspiration.

Let’s talk about building a brand that’s unapologetically YOU, leveraging community, and rising together—one step at a time. 👊

📽️ To watch this episode:  https://youtu.be/HBSI4a0sAV8

🔗 To connect with Brian Haney: 

📲 Website: https://www.relationinsurance.com

📲 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-haney-thehaneycompanyfinancialguy

📲 Podcast: https://www.thatsmyfinancialguy.com 

#theamberstittshow #brianhaney #amberstitt #relationinsurance #thehaneycompany #thehaneycompanyfinancialguypodcast #takeactiontoday #amberstittmediacompany 

📻 Thank you for tuning in to The Amber Stitt Show!

🔗 Connect with Amber on Social Media:

• AMBER’S INSTAGRAM
• AMBER’S LINKEDIN
• AMBER’S FACEBOOK

📲 Be sure to visit Amber's website:

www.AmberStitt.com

🎬 And remember, let's take action today!!!

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Transcript

Brian Haney [00:00:00]:
It's a blue ocean. We're not competitors, we're comrades. We're colleagues. We are locked arm-and-arm because at the end of the day, we have the wonderful privilege of helping people. It is, it's a privilege, but it's also something that becomes a responsibility, I think.

Amber Stitt [00:00:17]:
Welcome to The Amber Stitt Show. I'm so happy that you're here. We're going to welcome you to the show, Brian, I'm so excited to have you finally on the show.

Brian Haney [00:00:27]:
I'm thrilled, Amber, thank you for inviting me. I appreciate it.

Amber Stitt [00:00:30]:
So I was thinking about our time together and that we really started bumping into each other at different conferences between NAIFA, which nonprofit/for profit, a little combination. You've done leadership there and still continue to do so. And then Million Dollar Roundtable is also something that we are fortunate with gratitude to the fact that we can qualify and be there among all these leaders in our industry. But since my audience is not all in the financial industry, I'd love for them to know a little bit about what you're doing, especially in 2026, like what your business is, so they can get to know you a little bit more. So let's start there, if that's okay.

Brian Haney [00:01:09]:
Absolutely. I always love talking about the professional life. And it's maybe a little bit more, I don't want to say complicated, but it's maybe a little more involved than I think maybe some of our peers are in the NAIFA and the MDRT space. But our practice, it's led by my brother, my father, and I, we are kind of the primary practitioners. And for a while the Haney Company was what we called ourselves. And so it was kind of a family owned and independently operated financial practice concentrated on, the majority of our clients are in one marketplace, the association marketplace. And we just are talking about the two affiliations of associations is how we got connected.

Brian Haney [00:01:55]:
So those types of organizations are most of our clients. We've spent a considerable amount of time investing in that community, not just for business development, but because we really do believe in the power of association. We believe in spending time in the association space, to advance the space, to advance leadership, to help associations grow their impact and reach. And what our practice primarily focuses on is employee benefits, PNC insurance, retirement plans. And then I think we do a little bit of everything else. And individual life insurance, we help people with investments, all that kinds of fun stuff. So it's a fairly eclectic mix of things that we do. But I feel like we're doing pretty much the same thing every time.

Brian Haney [00:02:40]:
We're trying to understand the organization, what its mission is, what its visions are, what its values are, and how can we be a partner to making it be as successful as humanly possible.

Amber Stitt [00:02:51]:
Well, when I met you years ago, I didn't know that you were in a family business. And I feel like sometimes people, "Oh, it could be really hard to do that." And I want to celebrate it a little bit because I started with my father and my brother. I don't think you knew that. Maybe we talked a little bit. But now we all have our different business models. You kind of synced up with family. We all have our different expertise in my family side.

Amber Stitt [00:03:15]:
But let's talk about how that can be something that you can really leverage and have fun with. Because I think sometimes people just talk about how it's hard with family. I think it's pretty awesome. My husband works with me, so that's kind of where I'm going with it. How has that benefited you all? And I'm sure it's hard, too, but let's talk about that a little bit.

Brian Haney [00:03:32]:
Yeah, I mean, it's been really good. And I think the reason why I think it worked out was because it came together unplanned and unexpected. Now I have a lot of, especially high school friends that I graduated with that are in family businesses themselves, where it was this kind of predictable, multi-generational experience. So I think that there's a wonderful place and space for all of that. But for me, especially in the way that my father kind of parented us, he was just like, I don't care what you do. I just want you to do whatever fits you best. I want to see you be successful and chart your own path. And so that's kind of how he supported my brother and I growing up and in college and as we kind of got into the professional arena.

Brian Haney [00:04:21]:
And it just so happened that I fell into the financial industry. And then at some point, as I was trying to navigate my own way and he had actually sold his practice and was kind of getting to a place where he was stepping away, or considering whatever the next chapter was going to be for himself, I just kind of asked him, "Hey, if you got any gas left in the tank and you want to work together, why don't we just see what that can look like and see what comes out of it?" And lo and behold, he was like, "Yeah, absolutely." And that was probably about as close to the real conversation that we had. So, because we came together as peers, not as a junior/senior where he was trying to train me. Because he tells people and us all the time, he's like, "I don't know that I could have given you what you needed to be successful. Like, I don't know that I had that capability set to train you and all this other stuff." So the fact that I took those paths, the fact that I was already involved in organizations like NAIFA and MDRT and I was seeking growth and learning, connecting with industry peers, et cetera, those were key aspects. And then bringing my brother, and he was not in the financial industry at all.

Brian Haney [00:05:27]:
He was a professional videographer living in Atlanta. The running joke is, it's one thing to be a starving artist, it's another thing to work for the starving artists. That's how far down you are on the food chain. So really excited that he was willing to relocate, totally shift gears and now he is a powerhouse for us and all of us also. I think we work collaboratively, but we stay in our own lanes in terms of strategy. That's the other thing.

Brian Haney [00:05:55]:
We don't try to make each other like ourselves. We just try to work to figure out how do we do this and how does each person step into the place and space that they need to so that way we can deliver value and not get in each other's way, or step on each other's toes, that kind of stuff.

Amber Stitt [00:06:12]:
Well, between some of the panels and other speaking between the organizations we show up to, part of my conversation is I am not an A-plus math student. I'm in financial services, I have an agency, a business owner. "How can you do that when you're not book smart?" My path was different and I got into my 30s and it's been 15 years. And so I like that you're sharing. What my hope is for the audience is that there's different pathways to get where you're going and there could be a pivot, an enhancement. So it's really important in the 2026 year that we are helping people take action. So you just never know.

Amber Stitt [00:06:45]:
And my husband being in operations now, was an entrepreneur before in a completely different world. Got his insurance, license, and come in. So as you and I meet, some of our friends that are going out to succession, or how we're trying to pull other people into the business, period. There's different ways you can come in, and mentorship and joining some of these communities and organizations can help shake it out and figure it out. So I'm liking that we're starting there now. You are "The Haney Company Financial Guy" podcast host. Did you always love money in this kind of this world, or did you bump into it later in life, or was it always a passion for you?

Brian Haney [00:07:21]:
No, it wasn't. There's like 3 funny aspects as I tell the story. So initially, when I was a kid, what did I want to be when I grew up? I wanted to be an actor. That was the biggest passion. But it also seemed like the biggest pipe dream. So certainly as I grew and then got into college and was kind of leaning into my interests and my talents there, journalism, which is my BA. I have a BA in journalism from Indiana University. Go Hoosiers.

Brian Haney [00:07:49]:
Hopefully by the time this episode's released, we might be on the verge of a national championship. So I majored in journalism and I minored in psychology. One of my always, I guess, personal passions is just understanding how people think, behave, and interact. So human behavior, psychology, behavioral economics, all that kind of stuff is something I've continued to invest time in studying and learning and growing. So I thought coming out of college, I was going to be the next Tony Kornheiser, right? Well, combined sports journalism is going to be great. Well, that didn't pan out. So the first really good professional opportunity that I got after college was actually to work in the banking industry as a licensed banker in what they considered a weed out position. That was kind of a make or break, sink or swim type of thing.

Brian Haney [00:08:35]:
And I swam and I swam very well and had an incredible sales manager that gave me such a foundation for training. But also that sparked my love for our industry, for money, and really realizing that it is the universal language. If you want to help people, you can help them financially. You might help them more than anything else. And so that's just kind of where that's all built from. And I like to say some of the things that I'm proud of in terms of steps I've taken that have been good, taken plenty that haven't, as I'm sure all of us have. But I've tried to do a good job of leaning into looking inward, but also understanding what are my true talents and value and where can I actually add the most value in the marketplace, or in what I'm doing, because that's the best way for me to make an impact. Like if I spend a lot of time, like you said, if I'm not great at math, or this or that or whatever it is, and I try to spend all this time being good at something that I'm really ultimately not going to be good at.

Brian Haney [00:09:33]:
It's not good for me and that's not good for everybody else. So I think that that's the other thing that I would encourage anyone that's listening to this to realize. Investing in yourself as you navigate whatever path, financially, professionally, or otherwise you're going to chart is, it's critically important because it pays the biggest dividends for you, for your family, for your work, in every dimension of your life.

Amber Stitt [00:09:58]:
Yeah. And it doesn't have to be a lot of money. When you're first starting out, putting some effort in, go on YouTube, you can find information, it's an interesting thing. The more you spend and invest in your personal growth, executive coach, buy a course, do something and you're learning, things start happening. And it was interesting, the more I spent in, probably around the time I met you, I was doing a ton of workshops.

Amber Stitt [00:10:20]:
Kind of felt like, "Am I distracted out of my business?" But because of those time frames and meeting certain people, the opportunities are just continuing to come about. So it's like that manifestation. Gotta personally invest in yourself. You gotta throw some money in to your own personal bank account for your talents. You're talking about those strengths. Thank you for tuning-in to The Amber Stitt Show. Please give us a like and subscribe to the channel if you enjoy what we do. Your support goes a long way towards helping us bring you more compelling content.

Amber Stitt [00:10:50]:
Remember, let's take action together! Now, let's jump back into the conversation. You talked about a mentor at the bank. Do you think there's even a corporate ladder anymore? I don't think you were trying to climb it, per se, but you had the opportunity. Do you think the industry shifted a bit?

Brian Haney [00:11:06]:
I'm so glad you asked that question. And I'm glad because I think that this is a conversation: A) I know I'm having, but I think it's one that needs to be elevated and I think we need to have it more across a lot of fields and industries because, yeah, I mean part of my story is the fact that I came into an industry where at the time there were some semi-predetermined pathways that you could walk for professional advancement. But then the reality became very quick that the industry itself was going through changes and doors closed and what looked one way for a period of time, stopped looking that way due to arbitrary things, right out of your control, corporate shifts, or whatever. And so while that was helpful to me, as I shifted from one place and model, that didn't seem to make sense for me anymore. I was creating barriers, or ceilings that were not fruitful to another part, which was also harder and where the barriers didn't exist. But now there was more that I had to do for myself.

Brian Haney [00:12:08]:
When you become a business owner and you're working in a very independent or entrepreneurial space, all of a sudden you're responsible for all the things, too. You're juggling all the balls and wearing all the hats. But I do, I think that how we look at our work life has certainly shifted. And my encouragement is to always really lean into a balance between professional skill development. So if you do feel a connection to an industry, or kind of a certain aspect of the economy, then certainly figure out what it can look like to really excel. But I think that's the other reason why, and this is where I hope more people will make these types of investments. You got to invest in emotional intelligence and in what's considered soft skills that I don't really even like that terminology.

Brian Haney [00:12:54]:
They're critical skills for life that help you actually show up better. Because I would like to see a true study done on the cost of human stress in the workplace. That is not a skill set that we are really fully equipped with. How do we actually stand up, be mentally strong? How do we have a process for mental, and personal, and self-evaluation? We don't walk out of college or high school, or anything with that. It's not given to us. And you really don't necessarily find it unless you intentionally know to go look for it, or you've had things happen to you and you're like, "Darn, now I'm in a ditch and I'm cleaning up my own life." Those are skills that are as important as any of the skills that I've developed in my industry, any of the credentials that I have.

Brian Haney [00:13:39]:
And so I think it's just this duality of how do we invest in both sides as we continue to try to figure out where our place and space in life is. And it may not look traditional anymore. And I think that that's the case, and that's the cool thing about the association space, is that even as an industry, everybody that's in the association community always says, "I fell into this," and yet there's hundreds of thousands of people in that space. It's crazy.

Amber Stitt [00:14:01]:
Yes. And that's where you feel like, "Oh, there's competition," but there's so many things here, Brian. It's like lots of tech, as I go back and I look at even marketing, because I know that you like marketing, too, in business. And you have fun with podcasting and showing up and you're asked to speak. There's this negative connotation with AI and these jobs and all these things.

Amber Stitt [00:14:19]:
And so I kept thinking through the year, if you're not personally investing in yourself, improving your communication, putting yourself out there, this communication, you can control it. So it's your network, your community I think that's going to be really the currency as technology shifts our economy. And up until recently, there was always, "Oh, we're going to lose jobs." And then I ran into a group that really studies SEO, AEO and really helping companies thrive there. And they're like, "This is going to create this many more jobs." And I was like, "Thank you for saying that. You're the first I've heard..."

Amber Stitt [00:14:52]:
It's all fear factor. I really want to get your take on what you're excited about when it comes to technology in business now. But I want to share a funny story that something so tiny, though, we were in Hawaii at a conference, and you're showing me your out of office and you're like, "It's just so easy. Just use ChatGPT and do this thing." And I'm like, "Okay, well, I know how to use that," but I'm reading the content and how silly...but you're a business guy, you know, professional. And then I'm reading this canned response and you're having fun with your clients. So this was just one iteration of using a tool, having some fun with clients. What are you excited about when it comes to technology for your clients? Now more than ever?

Brian Haney [00:15:30]:
I'm glad you brought that up. So the broad brushstroke that I paint over this question is kind of...it's the word "brand" and it's in two domains, personal and professional, which are always intertwined, interconnected. So I have a little out of office following, by the way. So because I tell everybody...every single time I go somewhere, I write out my own out of office. And it's always designed to be humorous and just, fun, thoughtful, or whatever. But because I'm just...I'm naturally...

Brian Haney [00:16:01]:
I want to have fun. I feel like I'm somewhat of a funny person. That's part of my personality. And I've spent a lot of time looking at there are so many small ways we can actually communicate and leave an impact. And I want to actually pay attention to that as much as possible. If you call me on my cell phone and you listen to my voicemail, it's silly. It is.

Brian Haney [00:16:20]:
It's really. I'll let you...

Amber Stitt [00:16:22]:
I'm going to call you when we hang up.

Brian Haney [00:16:24]:
Leave a message. And these are things that, again, I think in a technology...in a digital world where our attention has changed and we are confronted and will continue to be confronted with a lot of things that may not come through a personalized filter, I still always want to a anchor myself as who I am and be true to myself. And any tool that I use, I want it to reflect me. I don't want it to take away from me. I don't want to disappear. And that's really, I think, a skill set, as well. I'm not afraid of technology because, frankly, it's a part of, I think, the human life and condition. It's where we are as a species if we want to be really biologically technical.

Brian Haney [00:17:08]:
So it's something, though, that like every tool in human history, it's incumbent upon the person using the tool for how impactful it can be or what it does to you. I've tried to personally and professionally stay ahead of the curve, learn, grow, become as much of a master in my own domain over the tools that are going to be helpful to me, whether it's AI or other things, and figure out ways that they can empower me to continue to show up as my best self, continue to do well in my practice and show up better for the people that I'm caring for and serving and working with. Are there ways that I can use digital media, or mediums, or what have you, to stand out and let people get to know me, as well? Because I think that in a sea of digital sameness and of just content overload, I think we have this wonderful opportunity, especially in 2026, to actually almost go the opposite direction and be like, "I want to stand out more for not being AI, or for not being glitz and glamoured and throw some filter on and all the other stuff." So those are the steps that I'm planning on taking.

Brian Haney [00:18:13]:
I don't need to lean into clickbait or all this other stuff. I'm just going to continue to be me. And I think that any of us that really can embrace that, you got to be comfortable in your own skin and find the place in the space. And I think that can look very different. I look at my wife as a great example who's gone down a journey where she's sharing a health journey that she's learned so much and she's made such an impact. But it's challenging because she's also trying to figure out how does she show up as herself and not get sucked into things, the should haves, or this is the way that it's supposed to look like, or everybody in this space is this way and does these things.

Brian Haney [00:18:53]:
That's subtle and tough. But I still think if we lean back into saying, "No, the best thing I can ever be is me and 100% me," then I think that that, again, as simple as that sounds and maybe easy, it's not a throwaway, or cliche thing. It's true. Anchor yourself and then just say, "This is how I need to show up."

Amber Stitt [00:19:17]:
I think sometimes our brains tell us our story is not as important. So, like with your wife, she's seeing there's a lot of stuff on Instagram and there's stuff that has a lot of following, but where is it impacting? So she's got to be true and show leadership and vulnerability, but not overdoing it, but have it be good for her soul, too. But yeah, being as unique as possible. There's really no rules in business, I mean, outside of compliance. I don't mean it like that, but you're sharing that. Being yourself is so important.

Amber Stitt [00:19:50]:
And it seems like a cliche, or something, "Everyone, Kumbaya," but if something is kind of tugging at you when it comes to an idea. We talked about coming into a business that we never thought would be our thing, it naturally happened because we put effort in and then things start happening and unraveling. And it's really important that I want to have people take action. Take action! That's where you're going to start to see differences and you might not be able to understand the end point. I think that's okay. I think any successful person, we study a lot of people with what we do, the game plan is not always outlined perfectly, but if you're trying, things are going to start happening.

Amber Stitt [00:20:25]:
You got to trust yourself and that intuition.

Brian Haney [00:20:28]:
And you know what? I love what you just said, because I think that that was another area where you and I are kindred spirits. I believe in that saying that says, "A rising tide lifts all ships." That's obviously physically true. We get that. My response to that, though, and what the truism for me is, and I think you as well, is, "Well, then I'm going to work to help get the tide to rise."

Brian Haney [00:20:58]:
That's my goal. Like you said, I want to help people take a step, take whatever that next step is, advance themselves, move forward in life. If we all progress and we get better and we do the things that we need to do, everybody wins. And I come into my professional domain. We have approached the association domain with that mindset. We want to impact the community, the marketplace. We want to elevate things and help as many people as we can. Now, that's not a marketing-ism because we can't help everybody, and not everybody's going to work with us.

Brian Haney [00:21:33]:
And that's not the goal, or the point. We want to come in and leave value. So, like the podcast, for example, and some of the content, the speaking and all that kind of stuff, I want to help people. Hopefully that's a resource. Maybe somebody listens to an episode and it allows them to solve things, or see something and take that step. That's the whole point. Take a step, maybe two or three, who knows? But as long as I was able to participate in you moving forward and not staying stuck and being stressed and then feeling bad that you're stuck and stressed and feel like you should be somewhere where you're not right, let's just all come together. Let's focus on investing in the places that we find ourselves in.

Brian Haney [00:22:09]:
Where are the favorable relationships, where are the communities? And if we have that kind of a mindset where we're all trying to get the tide to rise, everybody's ship, including our own, sails. And it's a blue ocean, you and I, in NAIFA, in MDRT, it's a blue ocean. We're not competitors. We're comrades. We're colleagues. We are locked arm-and-arm because at the end of the day, we have the wonderful privilege of helping people. It is, it's a privilege, but it's also something that becomes a responsibility, I think.

Amber Stitt [00:22:39]:
Well, normally I wrap up episodes with, "Okay, what can someone, turn off our episode and get out of the car and go do something with our information?" But I think you just put a little wrapper on it right there. It's taking action. And if it's like you're starting from scratch, I think if you just start allowing yourself some mentorship, or plugging in into the community, that's probably the easiest place to start, is go be around people that are doing something that you want to do.

Brian Haney [00:23:08]:
I agree with that. My own little encouragement to a lot of folks because this is a part of my story that I've only really become comfortable sharing in, probably late stage adult, probably the last four years. But be fearless at looking inward and making sure that you're able to be comfortable in your own skin. And if you're not, take that journey, take steps to connect, whether you need a mentor, a friend, a therapist, all of the above. Don't settle for not being comfortable being yourself because that will hold you back in everything. You can be great in a lot of places, but if you can't show up as yourself, then I empathize. I don't want that for you.

Brian Haney [00:23:49]:
And I think that's another thing that I hope that's a message other people can hear that because we do...We, all humanity, needs the best version of us to be showing up on a daily basis. We don't owe it to anybody but ourselves. We're not beholden to anybody and our story is our own. That's my last bit of encouragement. Please take that step, too.

Brian Haney [00:24:13]:
And I'm cheering you on 100%. I am there. Go get it. Be amazing.

Amber Stitt [00:24:19]:
You deserve it.

Brian Haney [00:24:20]:
Absolutely.

Amber Stitt [00:24:22]:
Well, I love all of that. That's the foundation of our blueprint here is focusing on talents is really encompassing. If you're not happy here in your heart, then it's gonna be really hard to evolve and be able to have all the things that you would want for yourself or your family and friends. So I think we leave it there, Brian, for now.

Brian Haney [00:24:40]:
That sounds great. I'm good with that.

Amber Stitt [00:24:42]:
Thank you. Thank you so much for being here.

Brian Haney [00:24:44]:
You bet. Thanks for having me.

Amber Stitt [00:24:46]:
Thank you for joining us for this episode of The Amber Stitt Show. Please check out the podcast page at: www.AmberStitt.com for more episodes and content like this. Until next time, keep taking action on your unique path!